Spray bottles of the prior art, have well known capabilities and characteristics. The dispensing of perfume and glass cleaning products are typical examples, using a human-powered pump strayer. Since pump sprayers are usually relative inexpensive, aerosol convenience is thus afforded the customer at a fraction of the cost.
A typical pump sprayer includes a movable piston. Movement of the piston momentarily reduces pressure on a closure means such as a valve ball. The ball is in fluid contact with contained liquid through a plastic straw. The partial vacuum that is created by the piston movement, both releases the ball from its seat and permits atmospheric pressure within the container to drive the liquid through the straw, over the seat and from a nozzle as an atomized spray. In a typical application, a pivotal trigger is used to drive the piston. An internal spring returns the trigger to its original position after each stroke.
Attachment of the pump sprayer to the glass or plastic container is by a spinable collar that engages threads on the exterior of the mouth of the container. The straw extends to its open end at the bottom of the container. A strainer also is attached at the open end of the straw.
Spray bottles that include the above-described pump sprayer are usually designed for operations in which the container is vertically positioned. In that position, the bottom of the container is closer to the earth's surface than the mouth. In such position, atmospheric pressure acts on the contained liquid in a downward direction relative to the earth's surface, toward the bottom of the bottle (called "a substantially normal upright working position"). These forces periodically act (when the trigger is released) to drive the liquid up the straw and thence from the container. As spray operations progress, the liquid in the bottle is reduced. And the resulting intersection of the liquid and surrounding air likewise falls to a final location at the bottom wall of the container. But if the spray bottle is tipped so that the end of the straw and strainer extends beyond the liquid, the coupling of the liquid within the straw and that within the reservoir of the bottle is severed. Thus the flow of liquid is interrupted. That is to say conventional spray bottles of which I am aware, do not have the capability of continuous, full circle operations where the bottle is tipped substantially from its conventional vertical upright working position. To be more specific, if the pump strayer and bottle can be tipped relative to a horizontal working plane parallel to the earth's surface through its centroid by an amount that places the end of the straw in the air (and not within the liquid), the spraying operation terminates. The amount of angle variation of course is a function of the amount of liquid within the container and orientation of the straw. If the container is nearly full and the straw stretches the full length of the container, then the permitted angular variation is somewhat large. But as the liquid is used up, such critical angle dramatically decreases. But irrespective of liquid amount, no spray bottle of which I am aware can continuously operate in a full circle, say about its centroid, as I propose to permit multidirectional spraying of differently oriented work surfaces. Further, where the circle of operation is defined by a critical angle of 180 degrees (i.e., the container is upside down), none are operational since the entry port of the straw, more likely than not, terminates in air and not in the continued liquid. In such position, the mouth of the container is closer to the earth's surface than the bottom wall by a maximum vertical amount (called "a maximum upside down working position"). In such position, the atmospheric pressure acts downwardly toward the mouth of the container.